by Jan Fielden
They hay is cut, baled, and ready to haul. Our usual “hauler” is starting her third year of college. So….that leaves me and The Colonel to do the hauling. He doesn’t especially care about hauling hay. On the other hand, I enjoy it. I have contests with myself about how many bales an hour I can haul. Sometimes I have a pretty good record and other times it is a sorry one! But, I love being out in the open, watching things that are going on, taking note of nature! The Colonel always has a better record than I do, of course. He doesn’t count the number of bales he hauls but I do so I guess I also have a contest with him….one I will never win! No matter, the result leaves a feeling of accomplishment.
As soon as we get done with the hauling I suppose we will start on shredding. That’s just like cutting the yard except much more of it. I enjoy that too. You can instantly see the results of something you have done. It takes a long time to do a whole pasture but that time is time that you can see exactly how much you have done and how much you have left. When it is totally done, the whole place looks cared for and loved. The results leave a feeling of accomplishment.
By this time, it will be close to time to winter and feeding cows. A special time that we both love to participate in. It is enjoyable to see the cows run after the hay, the calves lying down in it to stay warm, and the quiet peace that the hay brings to the place and all the animals that enjoy it for one reason or another. The Beagles love it because at the Red Oak Ranch, we stuff hay in their home to keep them warm! The results leave a feeling of accomplishment.
